Rotary engine



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. R. BENN. ROTARY ENGINE.

No. 520,554. Patented May 29, 1894.

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A. R. BENN.

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No. 520,554. Patented May 29, 1894,

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4 Sheets-Sheet 4. A. R. BENN. ROTARY ENGINE.

(No Model.)

No. 520,554. v Patented May ZQ, 1894.

.NrrED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

' ALFRED R. BENN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDWINREYNOLDS, OF SAME PLACE.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 520,554, dated May 29,1894.

Application filed March l6 1893.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED R. BENN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichitappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in rotary engines and it consistsin the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts as will behereinafter fully pointed out and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure l is a front elevation of an engineconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevationof the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view. Fig. 4 isa front end elevation of the revoluble cylinder, the front head of theengine being removed; and the abutments being shown in section. Figs. 5and 6 are respectively a detail side and end elevation of one of therotary pistons .of the engine. Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the lineat, x, of Fig. 3.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figuresof the drawings, referring to which,

A designates the exterior cylindrical casing or shell of my improvedengine which shell is suitably mounted and supported on a base piece a.The front end of the shell or" casing A is closed by a head A which isdetachably connected, by means of suitable bolts or similar fasteningdevices, to an integral annular flange a of said shell. 7

Within the cylindrical shell A is arranged a revoluble cylinder the hubB of which is suitably keyed or otherwise rigidly secured to the maindriving or power shaft 0 of the engine, said shaft extending entirelythrough the hub B and having one end fitted in a central'bearing in thefront head A of the engine. The hub B is provided at its rear end withan integral annular flange B which extends outwardly from said hub andcontacts at its outer edge with the inner surface of the outer shell Bof the revoluble cylinder. In the inner face of the flange B is formedan annular recess or groove in which is fitted Serial No. 466,326. (Nomodel.)

of the revoluble cylinder is provided at its rear end with an integralinwardly projecting flange b which extends across a portlon of the rearoutside surface of the flange B and the flanges b, B, and intermediateshell B are firmly and securely connected together, so as to form steamtight jointsat the rear ends of the concentric chambers or steam groovesO, 0 by suitable bolts b or similar fastening devices. In alignedgrooves or recesses formed in the adjacent faces of the head A the hub Band the outer shell B are fitted piston supporting plates D, D. As shownin the drawings the piston supporting plates are of greater diameterthan the piston seats which are formed in the hub and intermediate shellof the revoluble cylinder and said plates are rigidly secured inrecesses or grooves in the hub B and shell 13 but are loosely fitted inthe grooves in the inner face of the head A In suitable seats formed inthe intermediate shell B3 of the revoluble cylinder at diametricallyopposite points are fitted rotary pistons E, E, and similar, pistons E Eare fitted in seats formed at diametrically opposite points in the hubB.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the main'body of each of the pistons isprovided on one side with an undulatory surface (2 and at one end with acircular piece e which projects some distance beyond the surface 6 ofthe piston. Each of the pistons is supported by a stem 6 which passesthrough aligned openings or passages in the flanges B, 19 of the hub andouter shell of the revoluble cylinder, and by means of inwardlyprojecting annular flanges or ribs cl, d, formed integral with orotherwise rigidly secured to the supporting plates D, D, and fitting ingrooves formed in the forward end of the body of the piston. The

rotary pistons E, E, E and E project beyond their seats and into theadjacent steam ways or grooves in the revoluble cylinder, and saidpistons are provided with the undulatory surface 6 in order that as saidcylinder is revolved they will be able, by means of mechanism to behereinafter described, to clear the abutments G, G, which are rigidlyattached to the head A of the engine-and extend into the steam ways inthe revoluble cylinder. The inner faces of the abutments are madeundulatory, being exactly the reverse of the undulatory surface of therotary pistons. The inner steam way or groove 0 of the revolublecylinder communicates with an inlet port H formed in the head A of theengine and through which steam or othersuitable expansive fluid, such asair or gas, can be admitted to the revoluble cylinder. Said inner steamway or groove also communicates, through a port H which is arranged onthe opposite side of the abutment G from the inlet port H, with a steamchest K carried by the head A and said steam chest communicates, througha port L formed in the head A with the outer steam way 0 the. port L isformed'an exhaust port L.

Thev stems of the rotary pistons extend through suitable stuffing boxesand on said stems nearthe rear outer ends thereof are securedpinions M,the hubs of said wheels being connected by bars or members N.

On studs 0 attached to the flanges B of the hub 13 are journaled gearwheels P which mesh with the pinions M on the valve stems, as shown inFig. 2 of the drawings.

A gear wheel Q is attached to abracket or arm R rigidly attached to theexternal shell or case A and said gear Q meshes with the teeth of thegears P. The power shaft 0 extends loosely through the hub of the gearwheelQ, and beyond such wheel or the front of the. casing A said shaftis provided with suitable connections for transmitting power to anydesired machine, &c.

The operation of my invention may be briefly stated as followsSteam orother suitably expansive fluid is admitted to the inner,

steam way 0 of the revoluble cylinder and striking against one of therotary pistons E E therein operates to revolve the cylinder. As thepiston against which the expansive fluid is operating passes the port H,said fluid escapesv or passes through such port and into the. steamchest. From the steam chest the expansive fluid, exhausted from theinner steam way 0', passes through the port L into the outer steam way 0and operates against one of thepistons E, E, therein. As the cylinderrevolves and the operating piston passes the exhaust port L, theexpansive fluid passes through said port into the external atmoshere. Asthe revoluble cylinder is rotated, the intermediate gears P which meshwith the central gear Q are revolved in the same direction as thecylinder and the pinions M on the piston stems,-which pinions mesh withthe intermediate gears P, operate to revolve In the head A on theopposite side of the abutment G from the pistons as the cylinder isrotated so that the undulatory surface thereof will be presented to theabutments in the steam ways as the pistons pass the same, and thepinions on the stems of the pistons are always maintained in the samerelative positions. The rotary pistons are successively brought lntoposition to be operated upon by the expan- From the foregoingdescription and -the drawings, it will be seen that I have provided avery simple and strong engine 1n wh1ch the full force of the expansivefluid will be em.- ployed and, by which a greater amount of power can beobtained from a given amount of such fluid than is possible in enginesof this class as ordinarily constructed. The friction on the pistons isalso reduced-as. it requires considerably less powerto operate pistonsconstructed as herein shown and described and to cause the same to clearthe fixed abutments in the steam ways than it does to overcome thesevere strain required to bring the pistons or wings of the common forminwardly to clearthe abutments.

Although I have spoken of my improvements as particularly adapted to beoperated by steam, yet I am aware that equally good results can beobtained from my inventlon when either air or gas is used as theexpansive fluid.

I am aware that changes in-the form and proportion of parts and detailsof construction of the devices herein shown and described as anembodiment of my invention can-be Having thus fully described myinventiml,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure-by Letters Patent, is

1. In a rotary engine, the combination with an external shell or casing,of a revoluble cylinder arranged within said shell or casing and havingtwo concentric steam ways formed therein and communicating with a steamchest, carried by the external shell, and, re-

spectively, with the inlet and exhaustports, an abutment fixed in eachof thesteam ways,

two rotary pistons arranged in the inner steam way, two rotarypistonsarranged in theouter steam way, between the pistons in'theinnerway, and mechanism for positively rotating the pistons, as the cylinderis revolved, to enable them to clear the abutments in thesteam ways,substantially as described.

2. In a rotary engine, the combinationwithan external cylindrical shellor casing,of a revoluble cylinder arranged within the shell andconsisting of a hub provided with an an nular outwardly extending flangeat its rear. end, and concentric shellsB B attached to the flange of thehub and arrangedto provide concentric steam ways, pistons arranged Y insaid steam ways, a head attached to theexternal casing and provided withinlet and exhaust ports, each of which communicates with one of thesteam ways in the cylinder, and with fixed abutments which extend intosaid steam ways, and a steam chest connecting the concentric steam Waysin the cylinder, substantially as described.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination with an external casing havinginlet and exhaust ports formed in its head, of a revoluble cylinderarranged within the casing and provided with concentric steam ways whichcommunicate with the inlet and exhaust ports, supporting plates attachedto the said cylinder and fitting loosely in grooves in the head of theexternal shell, said plates being provided on their inner faces withannular ribs or flanges, abutments carried by said'head and extendinginto the steam ways in the cylinder, a series of rotary pistons fittedin seats in the cylinder and having one end grooved to receive theflanges on the supporting plates, said pistons having a portion of theirexterior surfaces made undulatory to allow them to clear the abutment inthe steam ways, and a steam chest connecting the steam ways of thecylinder, substantially as described.

4. In a rotary engine, the combination with an external cylindricalshell, of a revoluble cylinder arranged within the shell and consistingof a hub having an outwardly extending annular flange at its rearend,,an outer shell provided at its rear end with an inwardly extendingflange which extends partially across the flange on the hub, and anintermediate shell having its rear end fitted in a groove in the innerface of the flange and forming two concentric steam ways in saidcylinder, a head plate attached to one end of the external shell andprovided with inlet and exhaust ports which communicate with the steamways in the cylinder, abutments attached to the inner face of the headof the external shell and extending into the steam ways in the cylinder,a series of rotary p1stons fitted in seats formed in the cylinder andadapted to extend across the steam ways therein, said pistons having aportion of their surfaces made undulatory to enablethem to clear theabutments, and a steamchest connecting the steam ways in the cylinder,substantially as described.

5. In a rotary engine, the combination with an external shell or casing,of a revoluble cylinder having concentric steam ways formed therein andcommunicating with exhaust ports and inlet ports in the external shell,a steam chest attached to the external shell and connecting the steamways of the cylinder, abutments attached to'the external shell andextending into the steam Ways in the revoluble cylinder, the inner facesof said abutments being of undulatory form, a ser es of pistons fittedin seats formed in the cylinder and adapted to extend across the steamways therein, the stems of the pistons extending beyond the rear side ofthe cylinder and a portion of the body of said pistons being ofundulatory form, pinions secured on the stems of the pistons in rear ofthe intermediate gears, P, mounted on studs, carried by said cylinder,and meshing with the pinions on the piston stems, and a central gearsecured on an arm or bracket attached to the external shell and meshingwith the intermediate gears, P, substantially as and forthe purposedescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED R. BENN. Witnesses:

EDWARD F. OXLEY, HENRY H. PETTIT.

